The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is OFFICIAL and, like the rumours suggested, it is something of a beast. Pretty much everything you’ve read prior to launch was true as well, as the specs and hardware tally up nicely with what leakers were reporting since around April.

The camera on the Note 8 is a dual-sensor setup, a first for Samsung and, mercifully, it is still rocking a 3.5mm headphone jack (praise the lord).

“Samsung’s launch of the Note 8 underlines its current confidence. It’s a testament to Samsung’s stubbornness and determination that the launch of the Note 8 cements its position as the leading Android smartphone maker drawing a clear line under the Note 7 problems,” said Ben Wood, Chief of Research, CCS Insight.

He added: “The Note 8 joins the well-received S8 and S8+ arguably giving Samsung the best high-tier Android line-up of any manufacturer. The fact Samsung was prepared to continue using the Note brand shows its belief that there is significant pent up demand for another top-of-the-line flagship device alongside the rest of its smartphone portfolio.”

Apple is also expected to launch the iPhone 8 in September (alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus), and likewise, it has been the subject of a long and increasingly intense period of leaks and rumours. However, with Apple being a much more secretive company, our impression of the iPhone 8 isn’t quite as comprehensive at this stage. We know some things for certain, but other details remain a mystery or the subject of continued back-and-forth speculation and contradictory evidence. For example, a big question mark still hovers over whether or not it will have Touch ID, and where exactly, if so, the scanner button will be placed.

Several sources suggest that, up until VERY recently, Apple has still been deciding on a final design, meaning many key design features have remained up-in-the air. We have not been certain of the authenticity of such rumours, however, given the fact that Apple has long needed to get the iPhone 8 into production in order to meet the September launch bracket.

Logically, at this stage, the iPhone 8 has been in production for a while already, meaning the design must be finalised and complete.

Essentially we know the iPhone 8 will feature a brand new A11 processor, and we also know it will use an edge-to-edge OLED display provided by Samsung. In the past the rumours said it was curved, but sources suggest Apple ditched the curvature in favour of a flat implementation. The above design is based on numerous leaked schematics and dummies of the final product, the kind of stuff sent out to case makers so they can build accessories which fit, so we have good reason to believe it is the real deal in terms of aesthetics.

We still don’t know what the deal is with the Touch ID scanner though, some sources suggest it may have been dropped in favour of a 3D face and iris scanning technology possibly dubbed “FaceID”. It’s believed Apple could not successfully implement in-screen fingerprint scanner technology but wanted to preserve the edge-to-edge OLED panel. The only other options speculated include embedding the scanner in either the back panel or the side-mounted power key, neither of which has been apparent so far.

A bulk of sources also point to fast charging and wireless charging, a dual-sensor camera is practically confirmed at this point too, as is 3GB of RAM.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8 – Samsung Outlines Note 8’s USPs

Here’s the official line via Samsung:

“We appreciate the relentless passion of the Note community. They’ve been a constant inspiration to us and we designed the new Note for them,” said DJ Koh, president of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “From the Infinity Display to the enhanced S Pen and a powerful Dual Camera, the Galaxy Note8 lets people do things they never thought were possible.”

And the Galaxy Note 8’s main selling points:

Water and Dust Resistance: Four years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with water resistance. And today, you can take your Note almost anywhere you want with water and dust resistance (IP685) on the device and the S Pen. You can write even when the display is wet.

Fast Wireless Charging: Two years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with wireless charging. The Galaxy Note8 supports the most advanced wireless charging capabilities yet, so you can get a quick, convenient charge6 without having to mess around with ports or wires.

Powerful Performance: With 6GB RAM, a 10nm processor, and expandable memory (up to 256GB), you have the power you need to browse, stream, play games, and multitask.

Innovative Mobile Experiences: Samsung DeX enables a desktop experience, powered by your phone. You can keep your files on your device, conduct work on the go, and use Samsung DeX when you need an even bigger screen. The Galaxy Note8 includes Bixby8, a smarter way to use your phone; it learns from you, improves over time, and helps you get more done.